


"Fight me"

by tabbykats



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:01:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22487575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbykats/pseuds/tabbykats
Summary: After landing himself in the hospital, Nico meets a cute nurse. The nurse Will arranges to battle Nico in Central park. Who will win the fight?
Relationships: Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Kudos: 30





	"Fight me"

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a post I found scrolling through Pinterest.

The last thing Nico Di Angelo remembered was falling off the cliff. As he woke up bleary-eyed in a pure white room he couldn’t help but think, Man, I should’ve listened to Hazel.  
His sister had warned him about hiking on his own, especially when it was so foggy but he refused to listen. The call of the wild was too strong to ignore and he knew he just had to go hiking that day. Well, maybe it could’ve waited until the weekend when his friends could join but it was too late to go back now. 

Ugh, this is the worst, he thought. The hospital room smelled of rubbing alcohol, a smell he didn’t particularly enjoy. If only he hadn’t lost his footing then, he could still be breathing in that fresh scent the mountains had to offer. 

The room he was in was a stark white that made his head hurt. Or maybe that was the concussion. The curtain next to his bed was drawn back. A pile of pillows littered the headboard, ready for use but all Nico could think of was how much money does the hospital spend on pillows. From this point in the room, he had a pretty nice view of the window. Only, the window was just another boring landscape of buildings. If he squinted, he could make out the mountains he had been scaling previously but it was a long way away. 

Nico felt sore but he didn’t think he sustained too many injuries. From what he remembers, the fall wasn’t too far down. He figured the concussion was the brunt of his injuries. Still, he felt disgusting. His nose was a faucet on full blast and he could already tell that his face would be a tomato red. He slept for the majority of the time but once he felt better, he found it increasingly difficult to fall asleep.  
Bored out of his mine, Nico decided to have a little fun. It’s not every day you’re surrounded by a mountain of pillows after all. 

He slowly stood up from the bed, being careful not to place his injured foot on the ground. He made his way to the other bed and snatched up as many pillows as he could hold. He brought them back to his bed and immediately began making a pillow fort around himself.  
He remembered him and Bianca used to make pillow forts often before her death. It saddened Nico, thinking of her but then he imagined her face, seeing Nico in a hospital. She’d be furious, her brows would scrunch together and her eyes would pop out. He chuckled at the image. He missed his sister.  
As Nico placed the last pillow over his chest, someone walked in. 

“Oh, you’re awake, your sister will be happy to hear that”. Nico turned his head to see a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy around his age. He wore a white coat and scrubs like any of the other doctors but unlike them, he didn’t seem exhausted or tired. He had a gleam in his eyes, a skip to his step that enthralled him. “I am Dr. Solace but you can just call me Will”. Will rushed over to Nico’s bedside. “Okay, let me just check your vitals and then you can eat”. 

Nico grumbled as he sat up a little before answering. From underneath his mountain of pillows, he uttered two words, “Fight me”. Will chuckled before carefully removing his pillows.  
“Maybe next time, Di Angelo”. He combed Nico’s hair back away from his sweaty forehead and smiled. “Well, your fever broke which is great, you should be outta here by Thursday”. Nico groaned.  
“Hazel’s gonna kill me, I was supposed to have dinner with my niece and nephew on Thursday!”. Will placed a tray of food on Nico’s bedside.  
“Well maybe next time, listen to your sister when she warns you not go hiking hmm?”. Nico stuck his tongue out at Will’s comment but Will just laughed before leaving. Nico was left with a tray of food. His stomach grumbled and within the next fifteen minutes, Nico had scoffed down mashed potatoes, carrots, and what he believed was turkey. He left the fruit cup alone though, he hated pineapple. 

Nico repositioned his pillows and once he was done, Will walked back inside. “Done with your food?”. He stalked over to his bedside but frowned as he saw the fruit cup. “Nico, you need to have your fruits, they’re good for you and they’ll help you heal faster”. Nico just lay back, hair in disarray as he muttered the words “fight me”. 

Not long after, Nico fell into a coughing fit, causing Will to move some of the pillows away. Nico continued to glare at the nurse as Will smiled at him.  
“I’m not going to fight you, Nico, I know you’ll win”. Will beamed at Nico’s chaotic figure, still buried under pillows and a blanket. “I’ll be back to check on you later Nico”. Will left the room, tray in hand. 

By now, the sky had grown dark and exhaustion fell upon Nico, he fell asleep nestled under his pillow fort, dreaming of the day when he and Bianca had once made a castle of pillows before their baby sister had knocked it down. 

****

“I feel perfectly fine okay? My arm is fine, my head is fine, my leg is fine now may I please leave?” Nico argued with the Doctor. The Doctor sighed.  
“Very well but after Will does one final check-up”. Nico howled in disbelief. He had been stuck in the hospital for at least three days. He was sick of the food and he needed to inhale air that didn’t smell like disinfectants.  
“How many more check-ups do I have to do before I can go see my family?”. The doctor just mumbled something before exiting. Nico lay back on his pillow and eventually he drifted off once more.  
When he woke up, a coffee cup sat on his bedside with a note addressed to him.

To Nico,  
Fight me? 

Saturday at Central Park, 6:00 PM. 

From Will

****

Nico was discharged from the hospital around noon. Perfect, he thought, now I can go to Hazel’s and hear her yell at me. 

Nico made his way to his sister’s house with a bag full of cupcakes as an apology to Hazel and the kids.  
Ringing the doorbell, he felt anxious but it vanished once he saw Frank standing in the doorway. Good, he thought, no chance of being murdered tonight. He greeted Frank and made his way to the living room where Hazel sat on the couch, arms crossed with an angry expression. Nico suddenly wished he was back at the hospital. 

“You idiot Nico, I told you not to go alone! I told you to wait till Percy and Annabeth to swing by but noooo, you just had to get yourself landed in the hospital!”. She threw couch cushions at him while Nico dodged them, begging Frank to save him. When Hazel picked up the TV remote, Frank stepped in and hugged her. Meanwhile, Nico lay frazzled on the floor. 

“Uncle Nico’s here!”. Nico continued to lay dead on the floor as his niece and nephew pounced on him. This is how I die Nico thought.  
Nico handed the gremlins the bag of cupcakes who immediately presented it to their mother. Smirking, Hazel took a bite. To any normal person, Hazel looked calm, serene, tranquil. Nico knew better. The flames in her eyes told him he would either die tonight or have a bag of cupcakes thrown at his face.  
“You are forgiven brother, the red velvet saved you and that nurse’s note that just fell out of your pocket, but mostly the red-velvet”. Nico blushed as he picked up Will’s note. 

Hazel watched her brother, curiosity and a hint of amusement in her eyes. “You like him?” she grinned as she lapped up more of the frosting. Nico felt warm again before answering.  
“I-I haven’t known him for long but I thought I’d give him a chance”. Hazel hummed as she devoured the rest of the cupcake.  
“I suggest you get to the kitchen if you want to eat, I made Quesadillas”. Nico ran over to the kitchen only to find one Quesadilla left. The gremlins must’ve eaten the rest, he thought. 

Frank was at the counter cutting up chicken for dinner but Nico didn’t plan on staying. He had somewhere to be later on. 

After lunch, he stopped by at home to shower and change his clothes. His date with Will was tomorrow and so he decided to pick an outfit now so he could save himself the trouble later.  
He ended up deciding on a simple shirt and a black pair of jeans, his signature jacket to complete the look with his usual all-black converse. 

Nico changed into a warm sweater and jeans before heading out. It wasn’t cold but it wasn’t warm either and he knew that as the day progressed, the temperature would drop. 

He made his way to a lonely flower shop. Despite being rundown and old, they had the most beautiful flowers with the best variety to choose from. Not many people knew about the shop but Nico preferred it that way. 

Ms. Gardner greeted him as she always did every year, with a sympathetic smile and a bouquet of flowers already picked out. He thanked her for keeping them fresh even though he was a day late, making sure to grant her a pretty hefty tip. 

Nico made his way to the cemetery, the sky had begun to darken as it neared 6:00 PM. The graves he was looking for sat atop a hill with a beautiful tree guarding them, just how his Father had planned. 

He made his way to the graves of his sister and mother, Bianca and Maria Di Angelo. He sat down in front of their graves, setting the flowers down. 

After so many years, their graves had begun to weather down, chipped in areas and dirty in other. Nico wanted to be angry at the caretaker but he knew he couldn’t. This is just what happened. Over time, things fade away, pain, feelings, it all washes away. His tears fell onto their stone graves. Even though it’s been so long, it still hurt.  
“Mama, Bia, I’m sorry I’m late, I landed myself in the hospital”. He chuckled to himself. “Don’t be upset, I’m fine. Hazel tried to warn me that it would be dangerous to go hiking and like always she was right”. He let his hands fall to the grass. He felt the dirt underneath his nails and gripped onto the grassy strands just to have something to ground him so he didn’t fall apart completely.  
“It wasn’t too bad though, I met a boy there. His name is Will and he invited me to go out with him tomorrow”. The wind swayed, brushing Nico’s hair away from his eyes. 

“I think you’d really like him Bia, he’s so bright and warm and happy. He has golden blonde hair that reminds me of when we used to play by the beach and sun would always get in our eyes”.  
Nico wiped a few tears that had slipped. “Remember that time we found those flowers when we went exploring in the forest near our old house in Venice Mama? His eyes are the same color”. 

Nico kept his eyes pointed at the ground, finally letting the tears flow freely “I’m sorry Bia, I should’ve listened to you that day, I should’ve done what you said, at least that way you’d still be here”. Nico choked out sobs as he stared at the graves of his mother and sister. “I’m sorry Mama, I’m sorry you never got to see Hazel grow up, I know you loved her a lot, just as much as me and Bia. Hazel doesn’t believe me when I tell her but she loves you just as much as we do”. “

Nico gripped onto the grass below him a little tighter as his eyes started blurring from the overflow of tears. “I love you Bia, I love you Mama a-and I’m sorry you never got to see Hazel’s kids or meet her Husband. I’m sorry you never got the chance to enjoy America a-and I’m sorry for what I did. If I hadn’t disobeyed you Mama and if I had listened to Bia’s warning, then you’d both still be alive, we’d still be a family”. 

****

Nico spent at least another hour at their graves before walking back home. His eyes stung from crying and he had gotten his clothes dirty from laying in the mud. Too tired to care, he collapsed onto his couch.

The next morning, Nico had a quick shower before tossing his dirty clothes in the wash. He couldn’t bring himself to look in the mirror that morning. He blamed himself for their death since he was the one that caused it. He knew they could never hate him but he still carried that guilt with him far into his adult life. He never told Hazel anything, she didn’t remember Bianca or Maria as well as he did. His father was as cold and distant as always but Nico knew he loved his kids, he just struggled to connect with them without his wife’s help. 

Nico felt his vision blur again but he wiped his eyes. This was going to be a good day. He had a date with a boy he liked and he wasn’t going to cry. With that attitude, Nico rushed off to make breakfast before going grocery shopping. 

It was already early afternoon when he woke up that morning, so by the time he was done shopping, it was close to five.

Nico quickly got ready to meet Will at the park, changing into the outfit he had picked the day before. 

He checked his appearance before heading out. Central Park was a fifteen-minute walk from where he lived. He could’ve just taken his bike or asked to borrow Hazel’s car but he enjoyed the walk, it gave him time to calm down before meeting Will. 

When he arrived, he immediately spotted Will’s blonde hair. Honestly, it was like having a mini sun in central park. As Nico approached Will, Will drew out a mini lightsaber and pointed it at Nico. 

Nico laughed at Will’s enthusiasm but snatched the toy off of Will after he almost hit a lady in the head. 

“So Di Angelo, how ya feeling?”. Nico snickered before answering.  
“I’m fine, thanks for taking care of me by the way”. Will grinned.  
“Just doing my job sir”. Nico hummed as he felt the wind brush his face. He loved the night air, it relaxed him and made him feel ironically warm.  
“Why did you decide to go hiking anyway?” Will asked.  
“I like hiking, I like the mountains and forests, it makes me feel like I’m going on my own little adventure”. Will smirked.  
“Okay Bilbo Baggins, but don’t call me when you get eaten by a fire-breathing dragon”. Nico punched Will lightly.  
“He never got eaten by the dragon, he spent the rest of his life dreaming of going on more adventures”. Will grasped his hand.  
“That he did”. Nico felt his cheeks warm despite the cold wind. 

They walked through the park until their legs felt like they were going to fall off from the cold. During that time, they walked and argued about anything and everything. It was a simple and sweet first date. Nothing amazing with fireworks popping everywhere but Nico thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent with Will. 

“You wanna get outta here Nico? It’s getting late and I’m pretty hungry” he chuckled. Nico nodded his head.  
“We could go to my place? If you’re okay with that? It’s a short walk from here?”. Will grinned.  
“That’s a relief, my place is halfway across town”. 

The two set off for Nico’s apartment, trying to fight the oncoming cold. They ended up huddling together to conserve heat. 

Once they arrived, Nico started preparing food while Will just watched. They made small talk, a few snide comments are thrown in but Nico for once, felt comfortable and safe. He usually didn’t like people coming over but he enjoyed Will’s company. 

“And that is dinner, enjoy”. Nico smiled as Will dug in. Within the next five minutes, Will’s plate was empty and he was beaming up at Nico.  
“I know my mom is gonna hate me for saying this but your food is some of the best I’ve ever had your Italian right? Are you from Italy?”. Will saw Nico flinch but decided to say nothing. In truth, Nico tried avoiding talking about Venice, it always brought back memories of his family.  
“Y--he cleared his throat--yeah, I was born and raised there, Mama taught me how to cook”. Will realized it was a touchy subject for Nico and decided to move on, Nico would open up when he was ready. 

The atmosphere turned into a cold silence and Nico started to feel uncomfortable. He remembered why he didn’t date. He hated opening up, it left him vulnerable and he hated being seen as weak.  
“Umm, it’s getting late and I’m tired so maybe--”. Nico’s voice trailed off as he looked outside. It was snowing. There was no way Will could walk home and using the Subway now could be dangerous. Nico spoke up “You mind staying over?”. Will gave him a small smile before nodding. 

Nico set to work, finding spare bedding before setting it on the couch. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a spare room so the couch will have to do”.  
“It’s okay Nico”. Nico paused momentarily before continuing what he was doing. He didn’t know why but the way Will said his name made him shiver. 

“Do you wanna maybe stay up and watch a movie with me?” Will asked. Nico looked up at Will. His blue puppy-dog eyes were on display and Nico couldn’t say no, despite how tired he felt. 

The two boys sat down on the couch, finally deciding to watch the Christmas movie, Klaus. Neither of them has seen it but both of them had heard how good it was from friends. 

Not even a full half-hour into the movie, Nico felt his eyes droop. It was close to eleven and he’d had a long day, a great, fantastic one, but a long one all the same. Nico felt his head fall on something soft and warm, he didn’t bother to take a look. Wherever he was, he was safe. 

Will smiled as he brushed his fingers through a dark mass of curls until sleep eventually caught up to him as well. 

Nico woke with a start when he smelled something delicious. He opened his eyes to see a mass of blonde hair as it floated around the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes and focused on the plate of chocolate chip pancakes topped with berries. His growling stomach brought a blush to his face as Will turned to smile at him.  
“Good morning”.  
“M-morning” Nico stuttered. “You made pancakes?”. Will nodded as he sat down at the kitchen table.  
“Yeah as thanks for letting me sleep over and all”. Nico got up to join Will at the table.  
“R-right”. 

Breakfast continued in awkward silence but Nico found that he didn’t mind, he was just happy to be eating with someone. As they both grew close to finishing their pancakes, Nico grew anxious. Will would leave after breakfast and that would be it, he’d be alone again.

Nico washed up since Will cooked while Will scrolled through his phone. “I should probably get going, I’ve already overstayed my welcome”.  
Nico shook his head, a little disappointed at Will’s predicament.  
“You’re fine, it was nice that you stayed, I enjoyed your company,” Nico said, pointing his head to the side so Will couldn’t see his face. His hair fell into his eyes as he shifted his feet. Will didn’t like that. 

Reaching out, Will brushed away Nico’s hair so he could look at him. “I enjoyed my time with you as well and I’d love to do this again sometime if you’re okay with that.'' 

Nico was speechless. Will had his hand on his cheek which was definitely warm and from Will’s smile, he knew it too. Nico nodded his head as Will got up.  
“I guess I’ll be seeing you later then Nico”. He planted a kiss on Nico’s head and left without another word. 

Nico was left standing in the kitchen, face as red as it could be. What just happened?  
For the first time in a while though, Nico felt something he didn’t think he’d feel for the rest of his life. He felt happy.


End file.
